Friction shock-absorbing mechanism



Patented Fee. `a, 1927.

Y- j` 1.5163592 Ffl A A g l CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A nConfonai'rf-fi1vorDELAWARE'.

' 'Aiipneatiii 'ered' July je,

' This invention relates to improvements in friction shock "absorbing,mechanism.`

One `:object ofthe invention ,is tol provide a friction shock absorbingmechanism especially adapted for railway ydraft yrigg'ings,

including a plurality of relatively movable friction elements providedwith a plurality of interen'gaging frictionsurfaces producl inghigh'lfrictional capacity.`

kAnother objectgof the'in'vention'is to prof-Ql vide a friction rshockabsorbingmechanism of the character indicated, including appluyralitylof friction elements, certain off which have ,inter-engaging vwedgefriction surfaces arranged at different angles v"copre-vide relativeAmovement of certain of the remaining elements to. effect relativemovement ytherey vof on co-'operating rfrictionsurfaces;

l absorbing mechanism Other objects and advantages ofthe fin-M ventionwill lmore clearly; and fully appear from the description claimsy#hereinafter Y following.

ni; the drawing, arming apart 'of uns specification, Figure 1 is ahorizontal, longitudinal, sectional view, of a portion of a rail# waydraft rigging showing my y'improve ments in vconnection therewith.Figure 2 'is a view similar to Figiirel, partly-broken away,illustrating the position, of the parts oft-he mechanism when; fullycompressed.

And Figure 3 isa transiersefvertical, sec# tional view corresponding vsubstantially to the line 3-3 of Figure-1. j v K f In said drawings,10-10 indicate channelshaped center ordraft sills of. a railway carunderframe, to the inner facesA ofv which are secured fro'ntstopflugs11-11and rearstop lugs 12-12- The innerend portion of the drawbar isindicated by V13 to whichis operatively connecteda hooded yoke 14, theshock ed within theyoke.

The shock absorbing mechanism proper 'comprises broadly:l Front and rearfollower y actingV wedge blocks A-A ,two yside members B-B; t-wo` sidermembers two central combined wedge kand friction bloc'ks CD41);y tworetainer'bolt'sjE-E; `twopairs of resistance elemente. and

four. springfollowers or spools G G.

The from and raaf renovar aetingvedge eachV having ay end; `face 15Vcooperating with the Vcorresponding 'stop' v:linge on 'the erallyinwardly converging wedge faces on theinner side thereof, lone-of thewedge faces beingl f designatedgby-116 vandthe `other 'by proper beingsupport-p lees. fs'eil' no.' 120,776.1 i

isprovided withftwo` inwardly converging wedgefa'cesland 17 vatthevopposite sides thereof. As clearly .shown4 in 4the drawing,

the wedge face 17 of each-block A is -dis- :reaifpairs larel arranged at'.thevoppo'site side 18." .'.Ilie'wedge face'llof the member 1B' isfdisposed'at thesame angle as the wedge .face 16 of.' the correspondingfollower block 'A 'and `cooperates therewith. The "wedge- 'offth'emechanism, The members Bof the y' front and rear ypairs are 'ofidentical design.

.face 18of'th'e'-block Bis preferably ydisposed I at 'a blunteran'glewithreference tothel lon.k i

gitudinal fa'isof fthe mechanism than the wedge face 116 thereof.;I Thewedge blocks C of the two pairs areV "also of identical' design.` "Eachwedgefblock C is'providedfwitha pairof lateral inwardly converging wedgefaces o-n the inner side,v

thereof, one ofthe `wedge faces being designated ty11k/fana"y the-@empty19, 1 The wedge face 117` is correspondingly inclined fto thewedgek'face 17'y of the corresponding follower 'acting I blockk A andv.co-operates therewith;f4 Theremaining wedge yface 19' ,of vthe blo'clvCis ,preferably disposed at 4the same angle withreferencey tothelongitudinal. axis of the mechanism :asithe wedge` face 18of theb'lQck'B. As most clearlysh'own in Figure1,"the` wedge blocksv Band. ofleach' Vpair are provided with alignedh'openings `sfponding'retainerlbolt E. l i

yThe Wedge treks-1n are @similari ae- Sign, ,email having a:longitudinally ,disposed flat friction surface y21 on :thej innervsidethereof, the friction. .surface@'21.l fof theif'two flo/locks beingfilnengagement'. l Eachblockl) 'is also` provided, with fafpairof-la'terally oiitwardly converging "wedge faces" 118and 20e-,20adapted-ft@=` accommcdate the corre- 1 19 c'o-operating respectivelywith the wedge faces 18 and 19 of the side members B and Y C at thesameside of the mechanism and correspondingly inclined thereto.

clearlyl shown in Figure 1',the wedge blocks D are disposedsubstantially centrally ofthe mechanism and each of the blocks isinterposed between the front and rea-r side members at the saine side ofthe mechanism.

InV

The spring resistance elements F are four in number and arearranged inpairs, each f pair vco-operating with onel of the `pairs of Cil l so

side members B and C. Each spi'ingresistance element comprisesarelatively light inner'coil'and a heavier and outer coil, the coilsbeing` interposed between a collar 22 fixed to the outer end of thecorresponding retainer bolt E and a flange 23 on the spring followerspool Cr at the same side of the mechanism. Each spring follower spoolCr 'isprovided with an opening. adaptedto freely .accommodate the shankof the retainer bolt. The outer end of the spool projects beyond theflange 28 thereof Land within the innermost coil of thespring resistanceF,

thereby holding the coils thereof properly centered. IThe springfollower spools eX- tend through elongated lopenings in the .draftsills, thereby permittingv a certain amount of longitudinal movement ofthe saine. At the inner end, 'each spring lfollower is provided with aspherical bearing surface 2li co-operatingwith a similar bearing seat 25on the outer yside of the corresponding side member. As most clearlyshown in Figure 1, the openings 2O of the side members B and C fare'`appreciably larger in diameter thanthe aligned openings of the spoolsCr.rlhe enlarged lopenings'20 kpermit a` tilting movement of the'retainerbolts, for a purpose hereinafter described. rllhe operation .of myimproved shoclrabsorbing mechanism is -as follows, during compression ofthe gear :The kfront and iear follower lacting wedge blocks A will 'bemoved relatively towardV cach other, thereby Yeifectii'ig separationofthe side men'ibers B Aand C ofthe front and rear pairs. ration of theside members B and C of each Sepapair is resisted by the correspondingsprings l?. During the lateral separation of the side l members, thefaces 116 and ,11.7 .thereof will slip on the faces 16 and 17 ofthefollowcr acting blocks A, and the faces 1S: and 19 thereof will slipon the `faces 1.18 and 119 of thecentral wedge friction blocks D. Itwill be evident that due to thel wedging action of the. faces 18 and 19of the side members B and C on the faces118 and 119 of the blocks D,

the latter will be pressed inwardly toward k,each other, thereby forcingthe faces 21 into tight frictional engagement.-l Due to the differencein inclination of the faces 16, and' 17 `of vthe front and rear followeracting rwedgeblocks A, ,there will be a relative Asy mostv longitudinalmovement of the'side members B and C, together with the wedge frictionblock D at one side of the mechanism with reference to the side membersB and C and the Vwedge friction block D at' the opposite side of themechanism. Relative longitudinal movement will `thus be-eifected betweenthe friction blocks D on the faces 21 thereof. kFigure `2 illustratesthe position assinned by the parts of the mechanism when the sameisfully compressed, the side membersbeing in their outermost position andthe blocks D having been movedl to the extent of their longitudinaltravel. On account of the relative longitudinal movement of the sidemembers, the openings 2O of the members ofl each pair will bebroughtvout of exact alinement, thereby causing a-slight tilting of theretainer bolt associated therewith. In order to permit of this tilting`movement, the openings .2O are enlarged as heretofore pointed out. Byproviding the cri-operating spherical bearing surfaces on the spools andside members, the tilting action of the bolts is compensated-for,thereby preventing binding of the spools on the In release of themechanism, the eX- bolts. y pansive action of the springsA E causes theside members -B and C of each pair to be `forced inwardly toward eachother, thereby .of a pair of side members (3o-operating with each endfollower, each of the side members and the corresponding end followerhaving sets of co-op-erating wedge faces, thc co- .operating` faces ofone setbeing disposed at 'adiiferent anglo than the co-operating facesofthe other set,l whereby lateral and relative longitudinal movement ofeach pair of side members is effected; spring means resisting lateralmovement of said side members; and a pair of wedge blocks (1o-operatingwith the side members, said wedge blocksl having inter-engaging frictionsurfaces.

I2. ln a friction. shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with endfolloweis movable toward `and awayv from each other;

lof side members co-operatingv with each follower, each .side membervhaving a wedge face co-operating with a similar wedge Vface on thecorrespondingend follower for eifect- .ing movement of said side membersin directions away from each other, certain of said co-operating facesbeing disposed at a diEerent angle than the remainder of saidcooperating faces with respect toV the lo-ngitudinal Vaxis of themechanism to effect relative movement of said members in anotherdirection; wedge blocks co-operating with the side members associatedwith the front and rear end follow-ers, said wedge rblocks being movedrelatively to each other by said side members, said wedge blocks havingco,- operating friction surfaces; and spring resist-ance means opposing'mo-vement of said side members away from each other.

3. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combinationv with endfollowers movable toward and-away from each other; of side membersco-operating with each end follow-er, each of said side members having awedge face co-operating with a similar wedge face on the correspondingend fol-y lower for'eifecting lateral movement of the side members,certain of said co-operating faces being disposed at a relatively keenerangle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mechanism than theremaining cooperating faces, whereby relative longitudinal movement ofsaid side member associated with each follower is eected; means-yie'ldingly kopposing lateral movement of,`

said side members; and wedge blocls cooperating vwith. the side membersassociated with the. front and rear end followers, said wedge blocksbeing mov-ed relativelyto each other by the side members duringcompressionk of the mechanism, said wedge blocks having co-operatingfriction surfaces.

v4t. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with lendfollowers movable toward and away from eachother; of a plurality ofwedge blocks having `cooperating wedge faces, certain of said blockshaving interengaging longitudinally disposed friction surfaces, and theremaining blocks having additional wedge faces cooperating with similarfaces on said end followers, certain of said last named faces beingdispose-d at a keener angle with respect to the-longitudinal axis of themechanism than the remainder of said faces; and spring means opposingmovement of lsaid wedge blocks 'during compression of the mechanism, v

5. In a friction shock absorbing mecha-` nism, the combination withfront and rear followers each having a pair of wedge faces,

one of the ,faces of'eachpair being disposed at a blunter angle withrespect to the axis of the mechanism than the other face4 `of saidpair;of a pair of side members yceoperating with each follower, leach of saidsid-e members co-operating with one of kthe n Wedge faces ofthecorresponding follower;

yielding means o-pposing'lateral separation of the side members of eachpair; and fricmembers having co-operating wedge faces; and saidblockshavmg co-operating friction surfaces.

followers; of a pair of central friction blocks having co-operatinglongitudinally disposed friction surfaces; pairs of. front and rear sidemembers, the side members of each pair being disposed at opposite sidesof the mechanism, said side members being interposed between thefriction blocks and followers, each of said side members having lowersand a similar face on one of the fric- Vtion blocks interposed betweensaid two pairs of sid-e ymembers, said blocks andx side 'sey 6.( Inafriction shock absorbing mechaf nism, the combination with front andrear `two wedge 'faces-co-operating respectively y with a similar faceon one ofthe end foltion blocks', the coi-operating wedge faces of` eachfollower and the corresponding pair of side members being .disposed atdifferent angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mechanism;andyielding means opposing vlateralseparation olf the side members ofeachpair.

7. In a friction shock ,absorbing mechaa nism, the combination withfront and rear followers, each 'followerv having a wedge `'face on eachside thereof, the wedge faces lof said front and rear followers at thesame side of the mechanism being disposed at differ-ent angles withrespect to the longitudinal aXisof the mechanism; of a set' of wedgeJOHN n oooNNoR.

